Sick Day
by Caz Malfoy
Summary: Dylan Fic: Jack wasn't feeling too well...


**Title:** Sick Day  
**Fandom:** Torchwood  
**Pairing:** Jack/Ianto  
**Rating:** FRT  
**Summary:** Jack wasn't feeling too well...  
**Author's note:** This is AU and the 26th installment in the series. The others can be found at my Master List in order on Livejournal - see my profile for the link. This takes place between Captain Jack to the Rescue and What Makes a Family.

x

After six years of being in a relationship with someone, Ianto was used the waking up next to a warm body – usually a body that was warm from stealing the sheets. What he wasn't used to was waking up next to a red-hot poker.

He frowned and rolled over to discover that the 'red-hot poker' was actually his lover, who was tossing and turning in his sleep.

Jack looked flushed and sweaty – unfortunately, not due to anything Ianto had done. The lawyer reached out and pressed the back of his hand against Jack's overheated forehead.

The simple touch was enough to draw Jack out of his fitful sleep and he blinked up at Ianto, his eyes bleary and unfocused. "Ianto?" he whispered, his voice hurting too much to speak.

"Hey," Ianto greeted him with a smile. "You're burning up, Jack," he advised the police officer in case he wasn't aware.

Jack shook his head, wincing as his brain sloshed around his head. " 'M fine," he mumbled, his heavy eyes already falling closed.

"You're not going to work today," Ianto decided, climbing out of the bed and making sure that Jack was warmly tucked up to stave away any cold air.

The other man's eyes flickered open and he pouted at Ianto. " 'M fine," he repeated, purposely trying – and failing - to stop his words from slurring together.

Ianto kissed Jack's feverish forehead. "You've been feeling rubbish for days, Jack. This is your body's way of telling you to take it easy."

Jack glared at Ianto with all the dignity a sick person could muster. Ianto rolled his eyes. "If you can walk to the bathroom without falling over – and without holding on to anything – then you can go to work," he reasoned, knowing that there was no way Jack would be able to do it.

The police officer's eyes flickered over to the bathroom then back to Ianto, before they flickered closed again. "Too far," Jack murmured, pulling the covers up to his chin and snuggling further down.

Ianto smiled and pulled his bathrobe on, heading to the bedroom door. "I'll call Smith and tell him you're talking a few days off," he told Jack, not getting a response as his partner drifted back to sleep.

x

Jack was still in bed at ten o'clock. He had tried to make an appearance around eight thirty, but after being stood up for five minutes, he decided the height was too much and it was safer to be closer to the ground and on a soft surface – namely the bed.

Ianto's mum – a former nurse – had been in town to run some errands and she had offered to collect Dylan and take him to school for the while. Glenys had announced that Jack had nothing more than a bug; something his body would have been able to fight off, had he been taking proper care of himself. He was to rest until he felt well enough to venture out into the rest of the house.

Ianto had called Sue, his partner at work, and told her that he would be working from home. That way he could make sure Jack rested and look after two year old Ellie at the same time; saving them money on childcare fees.

Ellie was currently sitting on the couch watching 'In the Night Garden' and humming happily to herself with the music in the background.

Ianto smiled and handed her a child's cup of juice. She grinned her thanks and immediately returned to her television program.

"I'm going to go check on daddy," he told her.

Ellie nodded her head, content with watching the creatures on the screen. "Okay, tada," she cried, giggling when something funny happened on the show.

Ianto shook his head in amusement and headed up the stairs, armed with medication and water for his lover.

The last time Ianto had checked on Jack, the other man had been cocooned in a mass of sheets and the quilt. Now, the quilt was lying on the floor and the sheets were wrapped around Jack's legs, exposing the police officer's feverish form to the temperature of the bedroom.

Ianto sighed and carefully untangled the sheets, reverently spreading them out over Jack's body before picking the quilt up and doing the same with that.

"Jack?" he whispered, pressing his lips against the other man's sweaty hair. "Jack?" he called a little louder when Jack didn't respond.

"Wha?" Jack whined, burying his face in the pillow.

"You have to take some medicine," Ianto advised him, rolling him over so he was lying on his back.

"Don't wanna!" Jack complained, pouting and looking exactly like Dylan.

Ianto sighed and closed his eyes. When it came to his children acting like children – Ianto had all the patience in the world. It was very rare that he was the parent who got mad, that was Jack. But when Jack started acting like the child, Ianto found his almost legendary patience wearing thin.

"Two tablets then you can go back to sleep," Ianto bribed, reaching for the medication and popping two out of the packet.

"Promise?" Jack muttered, looking up at Ianto with large watery eyes.

Ianto offered him a smile and nodded his head. "Promise," he swore, making Jack sit up a little so he could swallow the tablets without choking or spilling the water everywhere.

He didn't manage to accomplish his task, however, as Jack still managed to spill several drops of water onto the sheet. But Ianto wasn't too bothered; it was only water and considering some of the _other _things that had been spilt on the sheets in the past, it wouldn't harm them.

"Are you still feeling like crap?" Ianto asked softly, running his hand over Jack's forehead. He knew it was a stupid question considering how hot his lover's skin was, but it always seemed to be the first question sick people were asked.

Jack nodded his head, looking up at Ianto forlornly. "My hair hurts," he whined.

Ianto chuckled and softly ran his hand over Jack's hair. He knew what the other man meant. Even he had been so ill that it felt like every inch of his being hurt: from the tips of his hair, right down to the ends of his toes.

"Get some sleep, love," he whispered, pressing his lips against his lover's. He wasn't normally one for terms of endearment like 'love' and 'cariad', but the situation seemed to call for it.

Jack seemed to agree because he grinned sleepily and patted Ianto's thigh. "Love you, Yan," he murmured, closing his eyes; the exertion of moving his hand had worn him out.

Ianto raised an eyebrow at Jack's nickname, but didn't comment on it. He would have something to bribe Jack with in the future. "I love you too, Jack," Ianto replied, flicking the light off again and silently heading back downstairs to join Ellie.

The End


End file.
